Suspension for laundry machines



June 21, 1955 B. R. THIELE SUSPENSION FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Oct. 7,1949 unnn e L oi u M M N m b E5 P LIM tuk ww g 6 WW 8 2 B rl H 3 CRT-TbMaw- U i d S te Pam 1 SUSPENSION FORi LAUNDRY Q Berthold R; Thiele,Ripon, Wis., assignor to Speed Queen Corporation, Ripon, Wis., acorporation of Delaware Application October 7, 1949, se -time. 126,013.

. The invention relates to laundry machines of the centrifugalextractortype and it is more particularly concerned with improved meansfor mounting the extractor.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved mountingarrangement for machines of the above general character which is adaptedto absorb and dissipate the energy tending to cause the extractor to'vibrate'or' gyrate when the load therein is unevenly distributedwhereby the strains imposed on the extractor, its bearings andassociated driving and supporting instrumentalities are reduced to aminimum and the transmission of destructive and dangerous'vibrations tothe framework or housing of the machine is substantially eliminated.

Another object is to provide a centrifugal extractor" mounting inwhich'the vibrations of the extractora're effectively damped and inwhich the damping efiect is automatically proportioned to the'magnitude'o'f the vibrations produced by different degrees of loadunbalance in the extractor. 'L i A further object is to provide amounting for centrifugal extractors which is simple intconstruction;easy to assemble and which retains its fullyoperating efliciency underlong and hard usage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent fromthe following detailed description of the preferred embodimentillustrated'in the accom panying drawings, in which: i

Figure 1 is a plan view of a laundry machine-equipped with an extractormounting embodying the feaures o f the' invention.

Fig. 2'is a side view of the machine'with parts broken away to show themounting arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional'viewof one of the suspension memberscomprising a part of the mounting.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view takenin a plane substantially onthe line4-4 of'Fig. 3. I

While .the inventionissusceptible of various modifica tions andalternative constructions, I have shownin the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the'preferred embodiment, but his 'to be understoodthat'I do-not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions *falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration, the invention has beenshown asincorporated in a domestic laundry or washing machine in which theextractor comprises a perfo: rated cylindrical clothes receptacle orbasketS serving both for washing and' for centrifugal drying. The receptacle 5 is rotatable .on a vertical axis within" a 'stationary tub 6which holds the wash water,-the tube of course being-provided withasuitable outlet fordraining the water-before a drying' orextractingoperation' isstarted; Oscillation and rotation of thereceptacle 5 for washing and'drying respectively are etfected bya motorM through a transmission T which may .berof conventional construction.In theexemplarymachine the re- 1 suspension members-10 convergedownwardly and thus tend to-re'turn the assembly to-a' centered positionwhenceptacle, tubfmotor and transmission are assembled as a unit on abase or spider 7 supported in the frame or housing 8 ofthe'machine'which is shown herein as rectangular" in'rform.

Support for the; receptacle assembly isprovided by'af plurality ofsuspension 'or' support members connected at opposite ends to brackets'or segments 11011 the hous ing and'tolaterallyprojectingsegments orarms'12 ofa the spider -7. "*In theparticular' machine illustrated, fo'u'r such suspension member's -areused'and'the brackets 11, and arms '12are accordingly arranged at the four'corners of the rectangularhousing 8and the spiderf7. 1-

The suspension members :10 are secured to the brackets 11 and arms 12 byresilient connections which allow a limited swinging of the receptacleassembly from a cen-2 rotational axis of the receptacle. Suchmovernents'f' which maybe either vibratory or gyratoryfar'e imparted: Ito the receptacle when itis rotated at extracting speedwith the loadtherein unevenly distributed, as'-?is'usuallya I V the case in theoperation of domestic laundry machinesf- Preferabl'y, the'brackets 11and arms 12 are differently:-

spaced from the ce'ntralaxisof the assembly so that the the receptacleis stationary. g t V v In accordance with the invention the suspensionmembers/10 are constructed andarranged so thatn-theenergy which producestheswinging inovements :of the receptacle assemblyisabsorbedand'dissipatedwithout im posing excessive strains on a'nytpartof the machineand without transmission of vibration'to the housing 8:vFurthermore, the' vibrationproduce'd'by the operation of the motor M'andtransmission-.; which are usuallyof substantially smaller amplitude thanthose produced byflan unevenly distributed load in the-receptacleS-areaefEec-J. tively absorbed by the-suspension members so thattheoperating conditions." ":5 g v. The-suspension members. IO are alike;in construcma'chine is=enabledto1un smoothlyand quietly under all tion.As shown in Fig. .3, each membercomprises an elongated rod .15 threadedati'one end for. the reception of J retaining and locking nuts 16and-having an enlarged head 17 at'its other-end; "In the assembledmachine the rod 15 extendslthrough a, clearance hole in one of the arms12 andlthrough' a'similar hole in the companion" bracket 11 with thehead17 projecting below the-arm. A

pad 18 of resilienttmaterial interposed; between [the lower face. ofthe,:arm 12 and. a washer 19 bearing against the upper end ofwtheuhead17" supports theweight 'of. the assembly: on the rod 15.. "Ashereinsho'wn, the'pad-18 is in the form of a disk centrally apertured toreceive the: rod withaisnug-fit'g' Asocket 20 is providedon thearmlzifor seatingthe pad'so as'to hold the rod 15 centered'intheclearancehole andout of direct contact-.witli the arm,

tion to the housingth .Mounted n.;the rod-ls-betweenthe arm 12 andjthe;bracket 11 are atpair, of resilientdisks. orpads25 aud.26-. Thesepadsaswell astheresilientpads 18 and'21 maybe made of: rubber orothermaterial. suitable for the purpose. Spring means, ,herein shown as acoiled; compressioni spring 27 wound ;around the rod 15 :acts throughthrusts 2,711,297 Patented June 21, 19 55 v 3 washers 2S and 29 toyieldably urge the pads outwardly and thus clamp the arm and bracketagainst the companion pads 18 and 21. The washer 28 is preferablyflanged so as to partially enclose the pad 25 and thus restrict itscompressibility. A similar flanged washer 28'.

may be interposed between the pad 26 and the bracket 11.

The resilient connection between the rods 15, brackets 11 and arms 12provided by the resilient pads 18, 21, 25 and 26 constitute, in efiect,a universal joint and permit the spider 7 and the assembly of which itforms a part to swing from a centered position in any direction in ahorizontal plane. In such swinging of the spider each rod 15 pivotsabout a stationary point P at the bracket 11 While the lower endoscillates within the limit positions indicated at C and C", the centralaxis of the rod being at C when the machine is idle. There is also arelative angular or pivotal movement between each rod 15 and theassociated spider arm 12 about a universal pivot point P located at theintersection of the axis of the rod and the plane of the arm. Suchrelative movements result in a twisting or deformation of the resilientpads and, if the movements are of sufficient amplitude, in furthercompression of the springs 27. The springs and pads thus impose aresistance to the movements of the spider and thereby exert a dampingeffect on the swinging of the assembly which keeps it within reasonablelimits and dissipates a part of the energy producing the movement.

Further damping of the swinging or vibration of the receptacle assemblyand dissipation of the remaining energy causing the swinging is effectedby novel friction braking mechanism associated with the suspensionmembers 15. In the preferred form illustrated, the braking mechanism foreach suspension member comprises a first component constituting aspherically segmental shoe 30 having an axially disposed socket portion31 slidably mounted on the projecting head 17 of the rod 15 for movementlongitudinally of the rod. The shoe 30 is provided at its outer facewith a friction pad 32, preferably nonmetallic, adapted to coact with acomplemental friction surface 33 defined by a cup-shaped member 34secured to the underside of the spider arm 12 and constitutinga secondbrake component. A spring 35 interposed between the spider arm and theshoe 30 urges the pad 32 against the surface 33 and thus determines thefrictional drag or braking etfect produced by the mechanism.

As the shoe is mounted on the projecting-end of the rod 15 substantiallybelow the point P', relative pivotal movement of the rod and arm 12 willswing the shoe through an are over the friction surface 33. Preferablythis friction surface and the coacting surface of the friction pad 52are formed concentric with the point P so that the pad maintainssubstantially uniform pressure on the friction surface in all positionsof the shoe 30. It

will be noted that this pressure is not affected by axial movements ofthe rod 15 since the shoe is slidably mounted on the head 17. In theembodimentillustrated the shoe may be swung from the central position inwhich it is shown in solid lines in any direction within a range, theextent of 'which is indicated by the broken-line representation of themember 34; 4

' Itwill be apparent from the foregoing that the invention provides anovel mounting arrangement for centrifugal extractors. The rotatablereceptacle or extractor and the associated parts which are assembledwith it' as a unit are supported from the housing of the machine by aplurality of suspension members having resilient connections with theunit and with the housing so constructed and arranged that the unit ispermitted to vibrate or swing in a plane perpendicular to the rotationalaxis of the extractor. driving motor and transmission are absorbed and apart of the energy producing swinging movements of the unit is: absorbedand dissipated without imparting excessive strainsto any of the parts ofthe machine. The vibra- Vibration resulting from the operation of thetion absorbing action of the connections is effectively supplemented bya novel friction mechanism associated with the suspension members whichacts to dissipate the major portion of the energy imparting swingingmovements to the unit.

The improved mounting is effected with simple, sturdy parts which areinexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble. Once the parts havebeen assembled, there is nothing to get out of order and full operatingefficiency is maintained for a long time under the hardest usage.

I claim as my invention: 4

1. A mountingelement for suspending an assembly subjected to axial andtransverse vibratory 'movement from a stationary support, comprising incombination mounting brackets having alined apertures therethroughadapted to be connected to a support and assembly, an elongated rigidmember having end portions projected through said apertures in saidbrackets, a'first pair of resilient pads secured outwardly of saidbrackets on said elongated member and fixed against outward axialmovement, a second pair of resilient pads slidable axially on saidelongated member and positioned, on the opposite side of the bracketsfrom said first pair of pads, a spring intermediate tosaid second pairof pads urging said pads away from each other and toward respective onesof said first pair of pads thereby clamping said brackets between matingones of said pairs of pads, .a brake shoe having a spherically segmentalbraking surface and axially slidably mounted on said elongated memberoutwardly of one of said first pair of pads, a coacting braking elementhaving a. complementary spherically segmental; braking surface securedto and fixed in spaced relation to one of said brackets, and a springpositioned betweensaid one of said brackets and said brake shoeresiliently pressing,

the latter into uniform braking engagement with said coacting brakingelement independently of relative axial movement between said supportand said assembly.

2. A mounting for suspending a movable member subjected to axial andtransverse vibratory movement from a stationary member, comprising incombination, mounting brackets having apertures therethrough and adaptedto be connected respectively to an assembly and support with saidapertures in alinement, an elongatedirigid member having end portionsprojected through said apertures in said brackets, a first pair ofresilient pads positioned outwardly of said brackets and fixed on saidelongated member against outward axial movement, a second pair ofresilient .pads positioned inwardly of vsaid brackets.

and mounted on said elongatedmernber for axial sliding movement, aspring positioned between said second pair of pads urging said secondpair of pads away from each other and toward respective ones of saidfirst pair of pads thereby clamping said brackets between mating ones-ofsaid pairs of pads, a brake shoe having a braking surface and mounted onsaidelongated member for relative axial movement and unison transversemovement, a coacting braking element having a complementary brakingsurface and fixedly mounted on one of said brackets for movement inunison therewith, and resilient. means positioned between said one ofsaid brackets and said brake shoe rcsiliently urging the latter intosubstantially uniform braking engagement with said coacting brakingelement irrespective of relative movement between said members .3. Amounting for suspending an assembly subjected to axial and transversevibratory movement from a stationary support comprisingin combination, apair of mounting brackets having alined apertures and adapted to berigidly connected to said support and assembly respectively, anelongated rigid member havingendpor tions projected through saidapertures in said brackets,

connections including-resilient pads on the end portions ofsaid-elongated member and a resilient spring pressing said pads intoengagement with said brackets for connecting said elongated member tosaid brackets for limited axial movement of said elongated memberrelative to said brackets and for limited universal swinging movement ofsaid elongated member about pivot points located on the axis of saidelongated member and substantially in the plane of each of said bracketsrespectively, a brake shoe having an outwardly facing sphericallysegmental braking surface and axially slidably mounted on said elongatedmember adjacent said other bracket for relative axial movement andunison transverse movement with said elongated member, a coactingbraking element having a complementary spherically segmental brakingsurface secured to the other one of said brackets for axial andtransverse movement in unison therewith, said spherically segmentalbraking surfaces having a radius of curvature substantially equal to thedistance of the braking surface on said coacting braking element fromsaid pivot point, a spring interconnecting said other bracket and saidbrake shoe resiliently urging the latter into braking engagement withsaid coacting braking element independently of relaassembly.

References. Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS EynonDec: 8; 1925 Schaum June 24, 193 0 Hull Apr. 28, 1931 Naul Sept. '151931 Schaum Feb. 7,1933 Cole -Sep t. 26, 1939 Geldhof et al. Apr.25,1944 Tholl Sept. 26, 1944 Dyer Jan. 8, 1946 Woodson Nov. 16, 1948Russell i Oct. 17, 1950 Geldhof Feb. 12, 1952

